In the year 1604 interpreter Mathieu da Costa became the first person of African descent to set foot on Canadas shores alongside of Samuel de Champlain.

For the second year in a row, Canada kicks off Black History Month by honouring Mathieu da Costa every February First.

Mathieu Da Costa was also a navigator and but honored as an interpreter who travelled extensively throughout the Atlantic region in the late 1500s and early 1600s and was constantly sought for his language skills by both the French and the Dutch in trading with this lands origiinal inhabitants.

Canada honours this man with his own as
we was instrumental in bridging the cultural and linguistic gap between the early French explorers and the Mi’kmaq people.

Not only is February the first the day that marks his name on the calendar, there are many opportunities available through his namesake to participate in Canadian society.

For instance, Choices Mathieu da Costa Centre
works to remove youth from street
gangs by getting them in courses, like plumbing and electrical training.

Mood:  accident prone
I wonder why this story would never make it for jawers at the Black Flag Cafe. Maybe it strikes a little too close to home. Or cuts too close to the bone. WhatevUH. o\How low can you possibly get? Just imagine both sides of the equation.....if your loved one from the US had died and if on the other hand you
are a organ recipient from Canada thinking how helpful and indebted we are to our largest trading partner.

More pictures...
Mood:  cool
Topic: Entertainment
giving me nothing else better to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Maybe I should be out X-country skiing.

Although too far away to see, this lady here had a small terrier in her backpack. Why she just didnt outfit the dog with ski's I'll never know.

Prince George is...

...A Study In Contrasts.







But
the highlight of yesterday was without a doubt the
Glass Tiger concert.
<------QT Movie





Had a post picture taking event laugh at this one...



this lucky girl waited and waited and was finally
rewarded for her patience by having her pic taken with the band...but I laughed when I saw my cam
phone might have momentarily distracted them..


this one...turned out better..



I too waited around till the end, and was just about to be escorted out by security, when an absolutely stunning back-up singer for the band came to my figurative rescue and
asked the lead singer Alan Frew if he could pose with me for a shot just before leaving. We handed the cam phone to the guard and he took a snap and the mercurial moment was set and after that I was enjoying some rareified air.


Glass Tiger put on a great show, sorry I cannot offer more descriptive passages...but they were so attuned to the audience is all I can say. How could they miss!

Honeymoon Suite as openers were classic. All in
all a terrific show! First time touring together after 20 years.


The venue: CN Center. Parking lot was full when I arrived, nearly empty when I left.

Glass Tiger/Honeymoon Suite had a raffle
for 2-VIP passes to a post-concert party, authographed acoustics guitars and more,more,more...all in aid of a battered womens
support group and also to assist their children.*

I bought a ticket but needless to say never won,
and think Cloud Nine would have been reserved for
at least a month if I had.

*What a great band!

You can see them February 11th in Ontario in a Benefit Concert in aid of Lou Gehrigs Disease.

Heres an interview.

Much special thanks to lead singer Allan Frew for gracefully allowing me have his photo taken with me.
- - -- - - - -

Mood:  surprised
Topic: Crime and Punishment

Which is more dangerous for men and women: the US or Canada?

A column by National Posts David Frum has revealed that "Canada's overall crime rate is now 50 percent higher than the crime rate in the United States."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, I was about to j'accuse dual-citizen Robert Young Pelton of intellectual fraud.

Alas, he has reedemed his self through his members only Black Flag Cafe message board at http://comebackalive.com.


At least 2 thousands percent better than the
last guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show... (I was recently amazed at her beauty paegent looks while she sublimely berated her guest.....for Petes sake Oprah..are you running for Ms America?)

... anyway, better than him for backing his own logic.

My comment would be that from what I can see, JLW was a corrupted version of Chris McCandless.

"So many people want to believe that it’s possible to live a noble life alone in the wilderness, living entirely off the land — and yet the indigenous peoples of Alaska know that only by depending upon each other, only by forming a community, does survival become possible."

Apparently, there is a film in production. Which is probably
more than Mr.Walker can say. Perhaps if someone asked to borrow stock footage of Jihadi training camps they might piece something together to
show to a limited underground audience of anarchists
and Fenian revisitists.

But back to Oprah, this commentator has some good insight. Perhaps when it comes to appraising our egos through the polished surface of the reflective glass, it might be better to accept our own dichtonomies and live with them. Rather than let them feel crushed through the collective weight of dissidents or dissenters. But I can barely see
how there can exist a justification for exaggerated truths to supplant the gaping holes in the souls of
people who bought into it. Had enough of charlatans.

Still working on blogging from the 1400's myself as Chris Columbus potentially might have..alas, the high seas are turbulent in one area and am currently in the doldrums, and no one is co-operating. E-specially the weather.

Mood:  lazy
If you have not already heard Little Green Footballs went ballistic on formrt Time Magazine writer now LA TIMES Joel Steins bombastic anti-invasion stance. The writer pieced together a verbal slaying and full frontal defensive on the perceived hypocracy of being against the war but tacitly "supporting" the US troops.

Here he is interviewed by Reuters

On-line furore caused by LA Times writer.

I would go a little further than saying I support his right to free speech as a writer but dont agree with him because it is so hard not to.

That would be like saying ...nevermind, I'm just saying. Leave it at that.

Maybe the National Guardsmen and US ARMY Corps memebers currently serving also get a daily reminder
that being overseas and out of country is probably most likely most certainly also not "a vacation."

So I think if I loved my country, I would support the troops to the tune to do the best possible job they can and also support advocacy for better
care and treatment upon returning.

But one of the best things I think I can do for my country as a Canadian is being careful about
venturing my forth my opinion about the US involvment in current ...adventures. Invasions.
Excursions. Whatever. Now doesnt that give me pause for thought?

Media meltdown...iPodcasting War of the Worlds - LIVE
Mood:  caffeinated
MSM is going to miss out totally on viablity of gadgetry to hit their audience and cash in.

Bush, Abramoff and "missing" photos. I thought he was Man of the Year?

Mood:  a-ok




Immortal

Brothers in Arms is a classic song that unites
a single thread of mankinds humanity into a soul
searing introspection on the sheer madness of war
....
Dire Straits - Brothers in ArmsDire Straits - Brothers in Arms


Its such a great song and musical anthem and common
hearing touchstone for men and women everywhere you
go. That it simply cannot be. Nor suffer in silence alone on a shelf or CD library without praise and admiration.




http://www.planetyahyah.com/chronicles/MP3/dire%20straits%20-%20brothers%20in%20arms.mp3

Canadian arrested in US for laundering one billion dollars
I never read it as "...quietly.." either.

Did you?

Imagine that: amidst all the election noise,
blather and din (loads of blather) a Canadian
national was 'quietly" arrrested..


Mon Jan 23, 2:40 PM ET



NEW YORK (AFP) - US federal prosecutors announced the arrest of a Canadian national on charges of laundering one billion dollars in illegal proceeds through a Bahamas-based investment firm.




According to a federal indictment, Martin Tremblay used the accounts of his firm, Dominion Investments, to receive hundreds of millions of dollars earned through drug smuggling, securities fraud and tax evasion.

Tremblay is charged with laundering the funds over the past seven years by transfering them into US bank accounts and offshore accounts in Canada, the Bahamas and elsewhere.

In the process, he and several unnamed co-conspirators allegedly created shell companies using false names, addresseses and telephone numbers.

If convicted, Tremblay faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail.

"We will follow the trail of dirty money wherever it leads and bring to justice those who help criminals profit from their crimes," said US Attorney Michael Garcia.


--

I am not. I'm not making this up.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060123/wl_canada_afp/uscanadacrimelaunder_060123194018

I wish someone would make wallpaper with this
face..or at least a coffeee cup coaster. Or
anything!

Special video available limited time only!
Mood:  party time!
Topic: Entertainment
Sure. I'll give you a Canada you won't recognize either. Ha hah ha-lol!

Tur nem speekers h`p n chill out!

Filse size incompatible for Tripod..hosted @ Savefile.

Back to 1983!